


A Pup's Found Family Pt 1

by StarShineForMe



Series: Sterek Daddies & Little Isaac [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Cuddling & Snuggling, Daddy Derek, Daddy Stiles, De-Aged Isaac Lahey, Domestic Fluff, Endearments, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Sterek Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarShineForMe/pseuds/StarShineForMe
Summary: The continuation ofOf Puppy Piles and Sugar Dreamswe've all been waiting for!This will make much more sense if you start at the beginning and readOf Puppy Piles and Sugar Dreamsfirst!“Don’t wan’ break my plate.” Adult Isaac, several inches taller than Stiles yet somehow seeming just as small as his recent two-year-old self, has had yet to look up from his feet. “Might get in trouble,” he whispers.**Later, Stiles relays their dinner plate saga, picturing perfectly in his mind the furrowed look of concentration he knows Derek has on at the moment.“He’s still our pup, Stiles.” There’s a pause, then Derek continues. “He wants to be little.”Stiles nods, even though Derek can’t see him, overflowing with emotion that he and Derek always seem to be on the same page now. “And I think he knows it,” Stiles agrees. “At least, his subconscious does. And so do we. But how can-““We’ll figure it out,” Derek assures him.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Sterek Daddies & Little Isaac [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615972
Comments: 77
Kudos: 1166





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been too long, I know, but I told you I wouldn't be able to stay away from this little family.  
> *cue BSB*  
> ohmygod we're back again...

“Isaac, can you hand me your plate, please?”

Isaac sat at the dinner table, tapping away at his phone.

“Isaac.”

“No.”

Stiles whirls around, one eyebrow raised at the beta in what Stiles realizes is a perfect imitation of Derek. “Excuse me?”

Isaac doesn’t look up from his phone. “Don’t wanna.” He taps his screen a few more times, watching different colored gems explode as he matches them up.

Stiles glances around the otherwise empty kitchen in disbelief, as if expecting the reason for Isaac’s petulant mood to appear out of thin air. He walks into Isaac’s space and yanks the phone out of his beta’s hand. “Want to try that answer again?”

Isaac stares at his feet. “Don’t wanna break it.”

“I won’t break your phone, buddy, jeez, who do you think I am, Cruella DeVille? I just want you to help clear-“

“Don’t wan’ break my plate.”

Stiles freezes mid-sentence.

Okay, he thinks. Time to tread carefully.

Three weeks had passed since he and Derek had gotten their adult betas back from their transformed miniature selves. Three weeks of Scott keeping his distance, fully uncomfortable with, albeit appreciative of, the care Stiles and Derek had shown him while he’d been little.

Not to mention that seeing Stiles and Derek as true mates had been a bit much for his best friend to get used to. Stiles bites back the pang of hurt that thoughts of Scott seemed to conjure up lately as he focuses on the beta in front of him.

In contrast to Scotty, Isaac had adjusted immediately to being his little pup self, thrilled with the attention and affection Stiles, Derek, and the rest of the pack had shown him. Coming back from that kind of transformation had to be tough, and Stiles didn’t think he was the only one to notice a difference in Isaac’s mannerisms since. Shy glances here, more cuddles there; yes, he and Derek had definitely picked up on this new side of adult Isaac.

They just didn’t know what the heck to do about it.

It’s not that Stiles isn’t sympathetic, but he just doesn’t know what to do when this petulant side of adult Isaac comes out.

Especially when Derek isn’t around to help.

“Isaac,” Stiles says slowly. “Are you telling me you don’t want to help me clear the table because you’re afraid you might break something?”

Adult Isaac, several inches taller than Stiles yet somehow seeming just as small as his recent two-year-old self, has had yet to look up from his feet. “Might get in trouble,” he whispers.

“Oh, baby.” The endearment is out before Stiles can stop it. Following his instincts, he crouches in front of Isaac’s chair. “You are never going to get in trouble for helping. Okay? Accidents might happen, and that’s okay! Hell, you’ve seen me spaz out and break my share of stuff around here. It will be okay, you hear me?”

Isaac doesn’t respond, so Stiles puts two fingers beneath his chin. “Hey.”

Isaac gives him a shy smile. “’kay. Hear you.”

“Okay.” Stiles nods, getting back to his feet. An idea strikes him, and if Isaac wants to laugh it off or ignore it, well, Stiles can play it cool with the best of them. “Wanna call Derek and tell him what you did today?”

“Yeah!” Isaac lights up, and Stiles does his best to hide his triumphant smile. “Okay, bud, go get pajamas on and then we’ll call.”

Isaac dashes up the stairs, and Stiles is already dialing Derek as he sneaks out onto the back porch so Isaac can’t overhear the beginning of their conversation.

“Was just thinking about you.”

Warmth and love floods Stiles’ entire being. No one, no one else on earth, got to hear Derek Hale say things like that. “Thinking about you too, Alpha.”

“Fuck, Stiles.”

“I know. Torture while you’re away.”

“If you only knew-“

“I would literally kill right now to hear you finish that sentence, but I’ve got about twenty seconds before a nosy little beta will overhear me, so listen up.”

“Go.”

Damn, but he loved his mate. “Isaac isn’t any better since you left for the summit.”

“Still acting not his age?”

Stiles relays their dinner plate saga, picturing perfectly in his mind the furrowed look of concentration he knows Derek has on at the moment.

“He’s still our pup, Stiles.” There’s a pause, then Derek continues. “He wants to be little.”

Stiles nods, even though Derek can’t see him, overflowing with emotion that he and Derek always seem to be on the same page now. “And I think he knows it,” Stiles agrees. “At least, his subconscious does. And so do we. But how can-“

“We’ll figure it out,” Derek assures him.

Stiles holds onto that, onto his mate’s unwavering strength, and nods again. It’s then that Isaac comes bounding down the stairs, so Stiles hands over his phone and listens with a smile as Isaac tells his alpha all about his day.

He must have been lost in thought longer than he realized, because before too long, Isaac is thrusting his phone back at him. “Here. Der says the sooner I go to bed, the sooner he comes home.”

“Wow,” Stiles says to Derek once his phone is back in his hand. “He must really miss you.”

He can hear the smirk in Derek’s voice when his mate says, “He’s not the only one.”

“Psh,” Stiles says.

“Uh huh. Tell me, Stiles, did you wake up hard this morning thinking of me? Did you touch yourself, wishing it was me touching you?

“Fuck, Derek.”

“Yeah,” Derek promises, low and deep. “Yeah, sweetheart, when I get home, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

Ten minutes later, after Derek had gotten Stiles off, leaning against the railing, with nothing but his husky voice and dirty promises, Stiles settles into bed, thinking of Derek’s return the next day, and of what they might do about their curly-haired beta’s obvious longing to return to being their pup.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek jerks awake, immediately careful not to jostle Stiles as he focuses his senses on whatever it is that just woke him up.

The front door creaks as it is slowly shut, two sets of footsteps making their way across the front entry.

Derek is crouched on the bottom step before the lock has finished sliding into place. A familiar scent reaches his nose. “Jackson? Lydia?”

“Shit, sorry.” Jackson faces him, while Lydia winces and then creeps towards their bedroom. “I meant to text you a heads up.”

“I thought you were with your parents this week?” Derek straightens, keeping his voice at a whisper.

Jackson rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh, we were. But then some shit went down, so Lyds and I decided to come home early.”

Derek raises a brow. “Explain,”

Jackson lets out a sigh. “Lydia may have let it drop that I’m thinking of proposing-“

Dereks’s brow arches higher. 

“-so my parents were pretty thrilled, you know, me landing a high class woman like her. Anyway, they gave us this cabin as a wedding present, and it all got to be too much, and so we said our goodbyes and-“

Derek holds up a hand. “They gave you this cabin.”

Jackson shrugs.

“As in, you now own this piece of property that our pack is living in.”

“Ah, yeah.” Jackson looks down. “Except no.”

“Der?” Stiles ambles sleepily down the stairs. “Where’d you go?”

Derek catches him around the waist, pulling Stiles close as he repeats himself to Jackson. “Explain.”

Jackson looks helplessly towards the room he shares with Lydia, clearly envious of his girlfriend – fiancée?- who’d already made her escape. “Yes, they gave it to me. No, it’s not mine.”

“Jax, buddy.” Stiles yawns, curling closer into Derek’s side. “It’s way too early, or late, or I don’t even know, for you to be talking nonsense right now.”

“It’s not mine because I had them deed it over to you.” Jackson, whose gaze had been firmly fixated on the floor, now slowly moves his eyes up to meet Derek’s.

Stiles’ head jerks up. “We own a cabin?”

“Yeah.” Jackson lifts a shoulder. “I mean, Derek does. Which is as good as you owning it to, I suppose.”

“Not possible.” Derek shakes his head. “I would have needed to sign something, make things official, be- wait, what? What the hell did you do?”

“Look, I really didn’t think I’d have to have this kind of intense conversation at three in the morning after some super harsh jet lag, alright? My parents’ lawyer is sending us the paperwork, you and I will sign, and the cabin is yours. Ours. For our pack. Whatever.” Jackson stalks past them both. “I’m going to bed.”

Derek watches him leave, one arm still around a sleepy Stiles. “Der? What just happened?”

Derek looks down at Stiles, unable to help kissing those lush lips right after he says, “I have no idea.”

“Derek! Derek, Stiles, lookit!” Isaac excitedly shoves a paint chip beneath the faces of his two very surprised parental figures. “This is the color I want for my room.”

Derek raises an eyebrow at Stiles, who says, “Uh, yeah? Good choice, buddy.” He wasn’t lying. The soft shade of blue Isaac had picked was dark enough not to be babyish but light enough to still have an innocence about it. “Where did you get this?”

“Lydee took me.” Isaac plopped down onto the floor, leaning back against Derek’s shins. “She said now I can paint my room whatever color I wan’.” He started tapping away on his phone, blowing up different colored gems as they appeared on his screen.

Stiles nudges Derek where they sit together on the couch. “Isaac,” Derek starts. “Look at me.”

Isaac does, lowering his phone. Stiles sucks in a breath at how huge and innocent his eyes are, how…hopeful.

“Der,” Stiles whispers.

Derek squeezes his hand. “Isaac, Stiles and I have something important to ask you. Are you listening?”

Isaac nods, looking between the two of them.

Derek hesitates. “We feel like…um…that is to say, we…we maybe think…”

Stiles squeezes his hand. “What your alpha is trying to say is, it seems like you remember a lot about being little. Is that true?”

Isaac shrugs.

“Isaac,” Stiles says softly. “It’s okay. Nothing you say will leave this room, and nothing you say will make Derek and me think any different of you.”

Isaac leans harder against Derek’s shins, muffling his voice into Derek’s legs when he says, “I remember.”

“How much?” Derek asks.

Another shrug. “Lot.”

“Are they good memories?” Stiles prods gently.

Isaac nods. “Took care a me.”

“We will always take care of you,” Derek says fiercely.

Stiles leans forward, runs a testing hand through Isaac’s curls. The beta leans into the touch, his eyes slotting closed. “Isaac,” Stiles whispers. “Do you want us to take care of you more?”

“’S stupid.”

“Absolutely not,” Stiles admonishes.

“’M an adult.”

“Yes, you are.” Derek sits forward, tipping his beta’s chin up to force his gaze. “But is that what you want?”

Stiles heart breaks a little at the whimper Isaac lets out.

“Isaac.” Stiles cards his fingers through Isaac’s hair, a soft point of contact contrasting with Derek’s gentle yet authoritative one. “We loved taking care of you. We love having you here, like this, and we loved having you as our pup. We only want you to be happy, and honest. Do you understand?”

Isaac’s nervous yet hopeful gaze darts between the two of them.

“Tell us what you want, pup. What you truly want.” Derek’s voice is soft, gentle, yet no less Alpha.

Isaac looks to Stiles, who nods encouragingly.

“Wan’ be little,” Isaac blurts out. “Wanna be little again.”

Stiles throws his arms around the pup, bringing him into the circle of Derek’s warmth. “Okay, baby.” His lips meet Derek’s over the top of Isaac’s head. “Okay.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac gets the chance to be happy, and Stiles and Derek exchange tense words as they try to adjust. Luckily, the pack is there to help
> 
> **Longer chapter to make up for the delay. thanks for understanding, loves**

“Are you sure this will work, Stiles?”

Stiles sidesteps a tangle of tree roots, holding fast to Isaac’s hand. “No,” he tells Derek. “But it’s the only thing I can think of.”

“When we asked him…” Derek hesitates, stealing a glance at Isaac. He’s holding Isaac’s other hand, and the pup has headphones in, listening to music on Stiles’ phone as the three of them walk through the woods. “I thought he would. You know. Pretend.”

“I know.” Stiles brushes a leaf from Isaac’s hair. “We tried. He did okay, but he was clearly nervous. If Cirelle can help Isaac be little for real, then he won’t have the self-consciousness that comes with being an adult. He can truly be little.”

“And grow up the way he should have.” Derek’s voice is quiet, neutral, but Stiles knows what he means, and he loves his wolf all the more for it.

“With parents who love him,” Stiles agrees.

“Not to mention a whole pack.” Derek frowns. “I hope they won’t think we are keeping this from them on purpose.”

“I don’t want them to be disappointed if it doesn’t work. And I really don’t want Isaac to be…” Stiles trails off, his voice catching.

“Hey.” They’ve just reached the small clearing in the forest where Stiles can feel Cirelle’s energy. Derek stops just shy of the opening, tilting Stiles’ face towards his. “I know you don’t want to disappoint Isaac. But just that you would do this, that you’d even try, it’s…it’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

Stiles lets himself burrow into Derek’s warmth for a brief moment, then straightens. “Alright,” he says, turning towards the clearing. “Let’s see what our fairy friend can do.”

“My pure heart.” A melodious voice floats into their ears. “I am honored and delighted. What brings you back?”

Stiles turns, catches Cirelle’s delicate hands in his own in greeting. “Cirelle. Thank you for seeing us.”

“I see our previous talk may have let you work a little magic of your own?” Cirelle raises her smooth brow in Derek’s direction.

Stiles gives Derek a fond smile, then looks back at the fae creature. “Yes. I will be forever thankful to you for showing me my truth.”

Cirelle waves a delicate hand. “I merely helped you open your eyes. Tell me, who is this precious one?” Derek had gently pulled the earbuds out of Isaac’s ears, and the pup now glances shyly at Cirelle.

Isaac scoots closer to Derek’s side, angling himself slightly behind Stiles. “It’s alright, pup,” Stiles soothes. “This is Cirelle. She’s a friend of mine.”

Cirelle touches a gentle hand to Isaac’s cheek. “What a precious soul, to have known such pain.” Her face pulls into a mask of sympathy and compassion as she looks to Stiles. “Your visit has to do with him, then?”

Stiles nods. He takes Cirelle’s hands again, closing his eyes and showing her in his mind the happiest version of Isaac, the one who would snuggle with Derek and play joyfully with Stiles. The tiny version, who fit snug in their arms and comfortably on their shoulders.

The Isaac who always felt safe, loved, protected.

Cirelle’s eyes fly open, and meet Stiles’ with understanding. “That was taken from him too early, wasn’t it, pure heart?”

Stiles swallows against a lump in his throat, his heart filling with love for the fairy who could see that Isaac hadn’t had nearly enough happiness, even with his extra chance when cursed.

Isaac has drawn even closer to Derek, yet he’s looking upon Stiles and Cirelle with curious eyes.

“I think I know what you’d like,” Cirelle tells Stiles. She looks at Isaac. “And what you need.”

Derek awkwardly clears his throat. “We don’t, ah. That is, we are hoping for more than a temporary fix.”

Cirelle places a hand once more upon Isaac, this time on his forehead. “And you, precious one, this is what you want?”

Isaac seems to know what she’s asking, seems to know that Stiles and Derek took his response to their question to heart. He nods, pink tinging his cheeks. “Yes, ma’am. Pea-I mean, please.”

“If he consents, and the two of you are genuine and true about your intention to care for this treasure, then I would be happy to help.”

Stiles wasn’t sure what he expected, but a little bit of fanfare at least wouldn’t have been surprising. “That’s it? We all just agree and then you…help?”

“The Hale pack helped keep my family safe during the awful raid of eighty-two.” A brief sadness passes over Cirelle’s beautiful features. She and Derek share a solemn look before she brightens once again. “It would be my pleasure to help.”

“But you already have helped,” Stiles points out. He takes Derek’s hand. “I can’t…I would never be this happy if it hadn’t been for you.”

He knows Cirelle noticed Derek squeezing his hand in return. “A continuing respect and willingness to aid and protect is all I ask,” she replies.

“Done,” Derek says fervently. He dips his head in her direction. “Of course. You have the protection and resources of our pack whenever you need them.”

Cirelle takes his hands in the same manner she had held Stiles’, and smiles. “You deserve to be happy, Alpha Hale. You deserve a family to love, who loves you.”

Stiles looks away from the dampness swirling in Derek’s eyes, knowing his mate is touched by the words even if he’d never say it aloud.

An odd feeling courses through him, his eyes fall closed in a heavy blink, and by the time he looks back at his mate, Derek is holding a tiny pup in his arms.

They look at each other in awe, glancing down at little Isaac’s soft curls and big, wondrous eyes, and when they turn to thank Cirelle, the fairy is already gone.

“He’s so tiny,” Jackson says.

“He’s fucking adorable,” Erica agrees.

“He left a note for you all.” Stiles figures this is as good a time as any to share adult Isaac’s last words for his closest friends. He and Derek hold their new baby close while the pack reads how much Isaac loves and appreciates them for understanding what he needs, and how he hopes he can make them feel as happy and loved as they made him.

Ten-month-old Isaac is cooing up at Derek from the safe cradle of his alpha’s arms while Stiles tries to focus on their pup instead of stealing glances at the pack while they read. He hears a sniffle from Lydia, a cough from Boyd, and can’t help but notice Erica and Jackson’s damp eyes.

“Our pack remains the same,” Derek assures. “But Stiles and I expect everyone to pitch in with raising our pup. If anyone has any latent jealousy, resentment, or objections, voice them now without reprisal.”

The room is silent. It’s Boyd who makes the first move, making his way towards the couch where Derek and Stiles sit together. He places a large hand on Isaac’s curls. “No objections,” he says fiercely, speaking for all of them. “He’s our pack, our pup, our brother. We’ll love and protect him the way we always have.”

“After we take him shopping, of course,” Lydia pipes in. “And once he becomes verbal, I fully expect to be allowed to educate him in proper English and archaic Latin.”

Stiles’ heart swells with pride, and Derek’s voice is rough when he says, “The next few days will be an adjustment.” Those gorgeous kaleidoscope eyes sparkle when he adds, “But this weekend, we celebrate.”

_Three weeks later_

“Der, I told you, I have a deadline. I’ve been working on this article all week. If I don’t have it ready for Monday’s issue, it’ll put my entire posting schedule behind.”

Derek pinches his nose between his brows. “Stiles. I have no choice. This Underbury pack is demanding that I-“

“Then tell. Them. No!”

Derek’s eyes flash red for the quickest instant before he regains control. “I can’t,” he pushes out through gritted teeth. “I’ve already put them off twice, when Isaac had his cold and then when Boyd and Lydia were attacked. If I don’t try and form an alliance now, they may think the Hales aren’t amenable to a treaty.”

“We’re amendable,” Stiles says as he tries to guide the spoon of mashed up sweet potatoes into Isaac’s mouth. “We’re so amenable we’re drowning in it. But for shits sake, Der, I can’t have the entire pack gone while I’m watching Isaac and trying to beat this deadline.”

Derek watches him bounce their pup on his hip. For the last two days, Isaac has screamed his tiny head off every time they’ve tried to settle him in his high chair for feeding. They have no idea why, only that their pup refuses to eat unless he’s in someone’s arms. “Your deadline is self-imposed, Stiles. Just move it.”

Stiles freezes, and Derek’s heart stops. He immediately regrets his words. “Shit, Stiles. I didn’t mean-“

His mate’s voice is flat when he responds, “You’re right, Derek. My work isn’t as important as yours. I’ll reschedule.”

“Stiles, I-“

“I get it.” Stiles sits on the couch, no longer frantically fidgeting and swaying. He holds the green plastic spoon filled with orange mush up to Isaac’s mouth. “It’s fine. Maybe just leave Lydia with me, okay? Everything that needs to be done around the house for the pack is a lot easier with an extra pair of hands. Unless you want to take Isaac to your meeting? Maybe his cute face will help form that alliance you need.”

Derek’s stomach folds in on itself, a sickness rising in his throat the way it does whenever he’s afraid he might lose Stiles. It’s not fair, this feeling, to him or his mate. He and Stiles are strong, their pack is strong, and Stiles isn’t going to leave him over any old argument.

But Derek has always been one to listen to his gut, especially when it tells him he fucked up. “Stiles.” He sits on the couch next to his mate and his pup, catching a bite of spilled sweet potato and letting Isaac suck it off his finger. “I’m sorry. I never should have said that. Your work is just as important as mine. It’s pack work, and the research and connections on your blog are priceless to the supernatural world.” He feels Stiles go a little less rigid, and he lets out a breath. “I’m just scared, okay? If I don’t make the right friendships, choose the right allies, our pack could be in danger.” He takes the bowl and spoon from Stiles’ hand and helps feed Isaac. “Our pup could be in danger.”

“I know,” Stiles says quietly. “But, Der, there has to be a balance. I can’t always be the one left behind while you go and angry-eyebrow everyone into submission.”

Derek’s mouth curls upward. “While I what now?”

Stiles huffs. “You know what you do.”

“Um, hello, you two do remember you have an entire pack, right?” Lydia and Erica come bounding down the stairs. “Maybe you wouldn’t fight so much if you, I don’t know, bothered to ask our opinion once in awhile?”

“Yeah, also maybe get laid,” Jackson adds, coming down behind them. “Seriously, get it out.”

Derek scowls at all of them. “We’re fine. We don’t need-“

“Yes, you do.” Erica stands in front of them, dipping a stealthy hand into Stiles’ pocket. “And you always forget the most obvious answer.”

“Hey!” Stiles cries. Derek throws an arm around him in solidarity, relieved beyond measure when Stiles sinks against him.

Erica’s fingers fly across the screen before she holds the phone to her ear. “Hey there, Papa John! Oh, good, good. Stubborn as usual. Yep. Uh huh. No, this time it’s about work or sex or something. I don’t know. Anywho, you free this weekend? Great! We will bring baby Isaac your way Saturday morning. That way alpha and your offspring can spend some quality time before Derek’s alliance meeting Sunday. Yeah, we all have to go and Stiles has to work. Right? Yes, for sure. I’ll make sure to bring extra pjs. Mmhmm. Okay great! Thanks, Papa John. You’re the best.” She tosses the phone back at Stiles. “You and Derek have tonight to spend with Isaac, and if I hear any more arguing so help me goddess I will make you sit through Lydia and I styling each other’s hair again. So cuddle your pup, make nice, and pack a bag for Isaac. Ya’ll have tomorrow afternoon and overnight together before Derek needs to meet us in the woods for the meeting with the Underburys. Stiles, I’ll hang back and do pack laundry so you can write your article.”

“Goddess,” Stiles says. “You’re a goddamn goddess, Erica Jane.”

“Mmhmm. Don’t you forget it.” She turns to Derek. “And you. Don’t ever talk about Stiles’ work like that again. And next weekend when Lyds and I take him for a spa retreat, maybe you and the guys will realize how much Stiles and Lydia do around here to keep our luxury cabin looking as good as it does.”

Derek’s skin heats, alternating between pride in his pack and anger at being talked to like this by a beta. “You did good,” he gruffs out. “Now go upstairs and keep the pack from bothering us for the rest of the night. Stiles, give Isaac to Jackson for bathtime. Then meet me outside in the hot tub in five minutes.”

Derek stalks out of the room, smiling to himself where no one can see at the indignant yet satisfied expression he knows is on his mate’s face, and the smug look he knows is crossing Erica’s striking features.

Calling John was smart, and he should have thought of it. Proud of his pack for reminding him it’s okay to need help, he steps out into the cool fall air.

Stripping off his shirt, he sinks into the heated bubbles, closes his eyes, and waits for his mate to join him.


	4. Chapter 4

“Der. Ooof.” Stiles tries to breathe, but it’s hard with a two-hundred-pound muscular sourwolf squeezing the life out of him. He hears the soft whine that comes from Derek’s throat, and softens. “I missed you, too, Alpha.”

“How was your spa weekend?” Derek pulls back, gives Stiles a long kiss after asking the question.

“Amazing. Erica knows how to get a discount everywhere we go, and Lydia knows every trick in the book to make the treatments last. My skin is so soft, Der, you have no idea.” His weekend away was fantastic, but something is missing, and it’s tugging at Stiles’ heart. “Where’s my baby?”

Derek smiles against his neck. “Upstairs taking a nap. I tried to make him sleep in his crib while you were gone, but he insisted on sleeping in your spot on our bed.”

Stiles gives him a dry look. “Our eleven-month old pup insisted that you, an alpha, bend to his will and allow him to sleep with you in our bed.”

Derek’s arms tighten around him. “He’s very persuasive.”

“Hmm.” Stiles sucks in a breath when Derek’s lips trail his neck. “Wonder who he gets that from.”

“His Daddy Sti-ewes,” Derek answers, using Isaac’s pet name for Stiles. Stiles heart flips a beat and a stupid grin spreads across his face.

“Uh huh. Whatever you say, Daddy Dewek.” Stiles basks in the gentle nuzzles Derek is giving him.

They’re interrupted by a sharp cry from upstairs. “I’ll get him,” Stiles says quickly. “I missed him so much it hurt.”

Later, during a dinner of Boyd’s famous spaghetti, Stiles asks the question Derek had been dreading all day. “So, how did your meeting with the Underbury pack go?”

Derek freezes mid-bite, glancing around the table in hopes that none of his beta’s reactions will give his earlier irritation away. “It was fine.”

“That’s good,” Stiles says, and Derek relaxes enough to swallow his food. “I’d hate to think you’re all sitting around looking awkward as hell because it went anything other than ‘fine’.” Stiles nonchalantly twirls his fork, leaning over Isaac’s head where the pup is perched in Stiles’ lap to gulp down his huge bite of pasta. “Fine is good. Good is fine. You all look fine and good and-“

“Jenna Underbury wants Derek,” Jackson blurts out.

Derek’s most recent bite threatens to make a reappearance when he sees Stiles’ face pucker into a mix of trepidation and disgust. “I’m sorry, who wants who now?”

Derek blows out a breath. “Jenna Underbury. She’s the Alpha. And yes, she made a pass at me-“

“Made the whole damn playbook at you, bro,” Jackson helpfully supplies.

“And I made it clear that I was taken,” Derek finishes. “End of story.”

“I see.” Stiles’ liquid brown eyes are sinking right through Derek’s soul. “So, no treaty, then?”

“Um, kind of like a halfway treaty?” Erica shrugs when Derek glares at her. “What? Boyd filled me in the second I got back.” She waggles her eyebrows. “This Jenna bit-“ she glances at Isaac- “-wolf made her terms quite clear, did she?”

A growl rumbles through Derek’s throat.

“Buh!” Isaac swings his head towards Derek. “Buh buh buh-“

“I agree with our pup, Der.” Stiles is no longer eating. “Explain.”

Derek sighs, pushes his plate away. “Jenna Underbury feels that an alliance between our packs would be beneficial to both of us. In that, we agree. However, she also feels our packs should unite by more intimate means, and on _that,_ I told her it was a hard no.”

Jackson snickers. “Hard-“

“Enough,” Derek barks.

His betas’ mouths all clamp shut, and Derek turns to Stiles. Taking his mate’s hands in his own, he says, “Stiles. I would never-“

Stiles cuts him off. “I know. Jeez, Der, give me some credit.” He’s smiling, but Derek senses the faint scent of nerves nonetheless. “What kind of retaliation are we looking at by passing up her generous offer?”

We. Us. The terms still made Derek’s chest feel tight, but in a good way, the kind of way he thought he’d never have. “I think ‘retaliation’ is a strong word,” he says with a wry grin. Sometimes the love he had for his mate threatened to flood and overflow his entire being. Turning a little more somber, he admits, “But I don’t think this is the last time she will offer.”

“What’s so great about these Underburys, anyway?” Lydia asks.

“Buh!”

Derek runs a hand over Isaac’s head, sharing an intimate smile with Stiles as he does. “They have quite a large territory,” he responds reluctantly.

“Not to mention some serious muscle,” Boyd adds.

The smell of nerves and anxiety spike higher, and Derek reaches out to hook an arm around Stiles’ chair to pull his mate closer. “It doesn’t matter,” he tells his mate, though the declaration is for the entire pack. “We will talk, negotiate. Find a compromise. I will not give Jenna Underbury what she wants, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reach an agreement.” The instinct to cuddle his mate and his pup closer, the urge to protect, burns deep within his gut.

“And if we can’t?” Jackson asks.

Derek casts a hard gaze around the table. “Then we will deal with that like we always have. As a pack.”

“Der, mmm. Was only gone for a…ah, uh, ohmygod, yes…weekend. You’re…fuck, baby, yes…fucking me like I’ve been gone for…ohhh sweet mmm.”

“Lucky I love the sound of your voice,” Derek says roughly as he pounds into Stiles. “Even when you’re full of my dick, you’re still…fuck you feel good…talking.”

“You…yes yes yes…love it.”

Derek picks up the pace, thrusting harder and faster into his mate as he feels both of them careening towards bliss. Stiles cries out beneath him, spilling all over his hand, and the sensations hurl Derek into his own release.

“Soundproofing…room…umf…yes…good.” Stiles collapses, sweaty and sticky, rolling over to face his mate. “Love you. Fuck.”

Derek is gone and back with a wet cloth before Stiles can catch his breath. Stiles purrs with pleasure, then blinks sleepy doe eyes up at Derek. “Der? I know we said we’d leave Isaac with Jax and Lydia all night so we could be together, but…”

Derek leans down, kisses Stiles on the lips, then gently on each eyelid. “I know. I’ll be right back.”

He wishes he could say his betas were surprised to see him, but they were both still awake, his pup sleeping on their bed between them. “We figured you’d be in here before the morning.”

“It’s not me, it’s Stiles,” Derek lies. As much as he wanted alone time with his mate, he didn’t feel complete without their pup.

“Buh!” Isaac coos sleepily at Stiles, fitting perfectly into his arms when Derek brings him into their bedroom. “He’s back to sleeping in his crib tomorrow,” he tells Stiles. His heart swells as he watches Stiles curl protectively around Isaac, watches his pup fold himself into Stiles’ arms like it’s the only place he belongs.

“Whatever you say, Alpha,” Stiles murmurs, and Derek’s dick twitches at the title despite the pleasure of the last few hours. “Come back to bed.”

It’s an invitation Derek wouldn’t pass up if his life depended on it. He changes into clean shorts and climbs into bed, wrapping his arms around his mate and his pup, letting the harmony of their breathing lull him to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

“Look who made a mess! Yes, he did! Your Daddy Derek made a mess!” Stiles enters the kitchen in a pair of pajama pants and one of Derek’s hoodies and coos at Isaac.

Isaac, who is grinning happily in his high chair, turns his smiley cheeks on Stiles. “Buh! Duh! Duh duh duh duh!”

“I know! So messy.” Stiles nuzzles his pup and then drops a kiss onto his head.

Derek growls from across the kitchen, pans and bowls and plates haphazardly lining the counter. “I wanted to have breakfast ready before you woke up.”

“Aww.” Stiles walks over to his mate, wraps his arms around Derek from behind. “There’s a reason Boyd and I do the cooking, Der-bear.”

“I can make some goddamn pancakes,” Derek huffs out.

“Little ears, Der.” Stiles pours himself a cup of coffee. “You haven’t got the eggs out. You need eggs to make pancakes from scratch.”

“I can fix this.” Derek whips out his cell phone, stares at it for a moment. “You can fix this. DoorDash us some donuts.”

“Okay, old man.” Stiles takes the phone, shooting a knowing look at Isaac. “Your Daddy Derek is still living in the Stone Age, my dude.”

“Your sass is-“

“Da!”

Stiles and Derek both freeze.

Isaac is still grinning, staring at the stripe of pancake batter on Derek’s cheek. “Da! Da da da!”

A high-pitched sound Stiles has never heard before emits from Derek’s throat as they both rush over to their pup. “What did you say? Say it again, baby,” Stiles encourages. He points at Derek. “Is this…” He’s used it a million times, but now the word catches in his throat.

“Da! Dada!” Isaac reaches out his chubby little arms to Derek. “Buh!” he says to Stiles.

“We can work on that,” Stiles says breathlessly. “Holy shit, Der, he just called you-“

“Dada!” Isaac kicks his legs, arms still outstretched.

“Pup.” Derek scoops Isaac into his arms, holds him tight to his chest. “Yes,” he says, voice rough and eyes wet. “My pup.”

“Dada.”

Derek looks over at Stiles, eyes wide with wonder.

“He trusts you, Der. As well he should.” Stiles lays his head against Derek’s shoulder. “You were more like a father to him than-“

“Stop,” Derek chokes out. He lifts Isaac up, presses his forehead to his pup’s. “I-“

“I know.” Stiles rubs his back. “It’s okay, Der. However you feel, it’s okay.”

They’re silent for a moment, even Isaac, who seems to somehow realize what an impactful moment this is.

Another minute later, though, he smacks Derek’s cheeks and says gleefully, “Dada!” Turning to Stiles, he says, “Da!”

“Yes, baby.” Derek snaps back into action, a grin splitting his face so wide that Stiles loses his breath at the sight of it. “We’re your daddies. And we love you so, so much.”

“Da,” Isaac declares with finality.

Stiles lays his head back on Derek’s shoulder, one hand cupping his pup’s head, his heart so full he could burst with it.

A few weeks later, Derek and Stiles bundle Isaac into the SUV and head for Deaton’s.

“He’s doing great,” the vet pronounces. “One-year checkup and everything looks good. Isaac is showing no ill effects from the magic that was bestowed on him.”

Derek breathes a sigh of relief, even though he’d had no obvious cause to worry.

He’s sharing a bowl of ice cream with his pup as Stiles drives them back home, chuckling every time Isaac’s little tongue darts out to swipe at his messy face.

“Woah,” Stiles says as he pulls into their drive. “Who called in the cavalry?”

Derek twists in his seat, taking in the sheriff’s car. Stiles glares at him, but Derek only shrugs. “Don’t look at me.”

“I hope everything is okay.”

Derek clamps a hand onto the back of Stiles’ neck, instantly calming his mate. “Your dad is allowed to drop by for a visit, Stiles. I’m sure everything’s fine.” He ignores the rolling in his gut that reminds him how quiet things had been lately on the Underbury front.

Derek was nothing if not cautious, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t unnerved by the lack of communication since he’d rejected Alpha Underbury’s offer.

“Wanna unbuckle our pup anytime this century there Daddy, or do I have to do everything around here?”

Derek snaps back to the present, sucking in a breath. His cock stirs in his pants and he looks at his mate, who seems taken aback by his reaction.

“Oh, Alpha,” Stiles purrs. “We are definitely gonna try that name again, when it’s not just a slip of the tongue.”

“Stiles-“ Derek’s voice cracks, his heart racing, groin tightening with the need to _take, take, take._

“Mmm.” Stiles closes his eyes for a second, but pulls himself together quicker than Derek. “I’ll get Isaac. You take a moment, hmm?”

Derek swats Stiles on the ass as he walks by. “Death of me.”

“You love every second,” Stiles calls over his shoulder.

Damn, but Derek really did.

“Surprise!” Stiles and Isaac were greeted with joyous faces and a loud chorus as they walked inside the cabin, Derek following close behind.

There were balloons everywhere, a new stroller front and center in the living room, a giant box beside it. Presents and soft new clothes covered one of the sofas, and there was a huge chocolate cake on the kitchen table, with one huge candle right smack in the middle.

“You think we’d miss our grandpup’s first birthday?” John plucks Isaac from Stiles’ arms. “Come here, scamp.”

“We hope we aren’t intruding,” Melissa adds. She hugs Stiles tight, and he sinks into it, not having realized how much he missed her. “We know he’s only been your pup for a couple months. But one year old is a milestone no baby should miss.” She rises to her tiptoes to peck Derek on the cheek. “Plus, your dad was going to have a fit if he had to go another week without seeing your baby boy.”

Derek’s hand fit itself into Stiles’ and Stiles held tight, overwhelmed by the love of their family. Their betas all had on birthday hats, even Boyd, and Erica and Lydia had on matching tee shirts that said “best big sister” in pink glittery letters.

“You guys rock!” Stiles heads straight for the birthday cake, swiping his finger through the frosting on the side. “Mmm, my fave.”

“Hey!” John wraps a large hand around Isaac’s chubby arm and makes him wave it at Stiles. “No filching until we’ve gotten to sing.”

“Your parents are pretty amazing,” Derek says to him later, as they’re lying in bed. John and Melissa were set up in one of the extra guest rooms, Isaac’s playpen as well, so Derek and Stiles could have a break.

“Yeah,” Stiles agrees, playing with Derek’s long fingers. They’re lying on their backs, pleasantly tired after a slow, quiet sex session that left them both sleepy and sated. “You know, uh…”

“Hmm?”

Stiles swallows down his nerves. “They’re kind of yours, too.”

Derek wraps an arm around Stiles’ shoulder, tugs him in close. “My what?”

Stiles buries his face in Derek’s side, so his voice is muffled when he says, “Your parents too.” His mate is silent for a moment, even though Stiles knows he heard.

Suddenly he’s no longer lying on the bed but being pulled to lie on top of Derek, chest to chest, legs slotted together. Derek’s mouth presses to his in a long kiss before his mate whispers, “ _Stiles.”_

A smile spreads across Stiles’ face. “You have a family now too, Der.”

Derek kisses him again, then again, and again until Stiles laughs and in turn feels Derek smile against his mouth. “You’re my family,” Derek breathes. “You, and Isaac, and our betas, and John and Melissa, and fuck, Stiles, how did I get so lucky?”

“You deserve to be happy, Derek.”

Derek rolls them over, nudges Stiles legs apart with his knees. “You make me happy, mate.”

Stiles sucks in a breath and holds in a moan as he feels Derek’s mouth wrap around him. He bites his lip on a gasp and a smile, because his mate has always been better with actions than words, and right now Stiles is the one who is so, so lucky.


	6. Chapter 6

“Dada da da da.” Isaac is in the baby seat of the grocery cart, chattering away while Stiles shops.

“Yes, baby,” Stiles absent-mindedly replies as he scans the grocery store shelves for the coffee Derek likes. “Ah! Got it.”

“Da?”

“Yeah, pup. This is for Daddy.” Stiles tosses the coffee into the cart and wheels around to the next aisle.

Where he promptly crashes into someone else’s cart, because subtlety and grace have never been his strong suits. “Ohmygosh, I’m so sorry!”

“No worries.” A gorgeous brunette with dark eyes and legs for days shoots him a smile. “I’m sure this was my fault.” 

Stiles is about to correct her, but the hair on his arms prickles and Isaac starts screaming his head off. She waves a hand like she understands, but something in her expression gives Stiles pause.

He’s trying to soothe Isaac and keep his attention on the mystery woman at the same time. He feels an inexplicable need to call Derek, even though he can handle a grocery errand with their pup on his own, for craps sake. Still, he’s reaching for his phone when the brunette says silkily, “It was nice to meet you. Stiles,” she throws over her shoulder, sashaying around the corner.

“Yeah, you too,” he mutters.

It’s only after he’s gone through the checkout and finally gotten Isaac settled down and in his car seat when he wonders how the hell she knew his name.

“I don’t like it,” Derek growls, pacing the kitchen.

“Yeah, I thought you might say that,” Stiles says dryly. “Look, Der, we don’t know-“

“She called you by name, Stiles,” Derek barks. “And your description…it matches Jenna Underbury perfectly.”

Stiles shrugs, which is stupid because Derek and all his betas can smell his underlying fear whether he plays it off or not. “So she knows who I am. She already knew you had a mate, that’s why she was so pissed off at you for not falling paws over tail for her, right? So it’s not like this is news. She was bound to find out about me sooner or later.”

“Find out about,” Derek grinds out. “Not find.”

Stiles hands Isaac off to Lydia, places his hands on his hips, and faces his mate. “Excuse me?”

“Stiles,-“

“No.” Stiles grips Derek’s chin. “Do I look like Rapunzel to you? Did you think you could lock me away in a tower from all the other beasts?”

“You’re mixing fairy tales, Stiles honey,” Erica says.

“Hush,” he tells her. He looks at Derek again. “Are you serious? After everything went down with Fenrir, after everything we’ve been through together – the pool, the Alpha pack- you still think I can’t handle myself?”

“Stiles, I can’t –“

“No, Derek. _I_ can’t.” Stiles tries to keep his voice from breaking, and he hates that this is happening in front of all his betas, but he’s sick of feeling like the useless human. “I can’t do this if you don’t see me as an equal. You still don’t think I can take care of myself. Does that mean I can’t take care of our pup, either? I can’t –“ his voice catches, his eyes going damp. “I can’t be with you if you don’t trust me.”

“Stiles!” It’s a half roar, half plea, and it almost makes Stiles turn around. But he stalks out of the kitchen and out the back porch door, slamming it behind him as he goes.

He breathes in cool, crisp air, and it helps clear his head, his lungs, but not his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, my loves, but I'm coming back soon <3


	7. Chapter 7

Derek watches Stiles lean farther onto the porch railing, his elbows digging into the wood, head propped in his hands. His mate might not be a wolf, but Derek knows Stiles hears his approach.

He doesn’t move, not even when Derek tentatively places his hands on Stiles’ slim waist. He isn’t exactly welcomed, but he isn’t getting rejected either, so Derek moves closer, pressing his front to Stiles’ back. “I trust you with everything I have.”

Stiles tips his head back onto Derek’s shoulder, but he still keeps his hands to himself. “Der, I can’t-“

“I can’t lose you, Stiles. I love you. I trust you.” Derek turns Stiles in his arms, pleased when Stiles lets him. “Just because I want to keep you safe doesn’t mean I think you’re incapable of doing it yourself.”

Stiles shudders, one hand coming up to clutch Derek’s shirt. “I just… I can’t be your fragile human.”

“You’re not,” Derek rushes out. “Are you kidding me? You’re stronger than I could ever be.” He takes a risk and dips his head, just low enough to brush Stiles’ lips with his own. “I can’t explain…it feels…fuck, Stiles, the thought of losing you, or you getting hurt, or…or anything because of me…” Derek struggles on the words like they’re choking him. “The need to protect you, to keep you safe…it’s a need buried so deep inside me it’s a part of everything I am. The instinct to protect and provide for you, for our pup, our betas…it rips me apart when I can’t do that, Stiles. Can you try to understand that? For me?”

The night is silent, save for the intermittent hooting of an owl and Derek’s own nervous breathing.

“I do understand, Der.” Stiles looks up at him with those big doe eyes, and Derek is lost. “It’s the same for me. I just…I just need to be your equal. Your partner. Your…”

“My mate,” Derek breathes against his mouth. This time Stiles opens, lets him in, and Derek throws all his feelings into this one kiss as if it was their last. “You are, Stiles. You are everything that is me. But I will never – can never – stop trying to protect you, from anyone or anything that wishes you harm.”

“I know.” Stiles chuffs out a laugh, and Derek wants to drink down the sound of it. His face turning serious, Stiles whispers, “Der…”

“Yes, love.” Derek noses at Stiles’ neck.

Stiles lithe fingers are playing with Derek’s shirt again. “When I realized who she was, that it was Jenna Underbury in the grocery store, and I had Isaac with me…I got in the car and all I could think about was how I’d kill her, how I’d kill anyone, who tried to hurt our baby.” Stiles’ eyes are wet when he looks up at Derek. “That scares me, Der.”

“I know,” Derek says, because it’s the same for him whenever anyone even looks the wrong way at his mate. He gathers Stiles close, and thinks maybe they’ll be okay. “I know.”

“Da da!” Derek’s face splits open on a grin as Isaac reaches his chubby little arms up to him. “Da da da da!”

“Yes, my impatient pup.” Derek lifts Isaac from his high chair and wipes cereal crumbs from his face. “What do you want, my little love?”

“Want da da!”

“Hmm,” Derek says, positioning Isaac on his hip. “I want him, too. Let’s go hunt down Daddy Stiles, shall we?”

“He’s outside with Papa John,” Lydia tells him.

Derek nods his thanks. He had no doubt that between running into Jenna Underbury and pseudo-fighting with Derek, Stiles would need his dad. Truth be told, John Stilinski was an alpha in his own right, and Derek had come to find his presence reassuring.

He swallows a lump in his throat as he steps outside to find Stiles and John playing catch, tossing a baseball back and forth between them like there isn’t a rival pack sniffing around, like they aren’t trying to figure out the best way to raise a formerly abused pup. “Looking a bit weak, there, John.”

“Come try me out, Hale.” The corners of John’s mouth quirk upward.

“Time out,” Stiles calls. He jogs over to Derek, gives Isaac a peck on the top of his head. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just missed you.” Derek ropes Stiles in with an arm around his mate’s shoulders, pressing a quick but firm kiss to his lips.

“Mmm. Okay.” Stiles sags against him, gives him a kiss in return. “Dad’s gonna stay for dinner.”

Derek passes Isaac over to Stiles and snags his catcher’s mitt in one smooth motion. “Time to see what you’re really made of, Sheriff.”

The words Stiles said to him the other night, about this being Derek’s family too, run through his mind, and Derek tosses the first pitch to John with a smile on his face.

“I love it.”

“No.”

“It’s perfect.”

“Absolutely not.”

“But-“

“Derek –“

“Alpha –“

“ _No.”_

“Der-bear.” Stiles blinks up at him with long eyelashes. “It’s the perfect plan. We’d get Jenna and her little minions all in one.”

“She’d totally flip,” Lydia agrees.

“I’d pay money to see Jenna Underbury think she has you pinned beneath her pointy evil fingers,” Erica chimes in.

“Gonna get his fake game on,” Jackson sings, thrusting his hips.

Stiles bursts out laughing. “And then he-“

“I said, no!” Derek roars, stunning the entire pack into silence.

“Derek,-“ Stiles starts.

“I’m not even going to consider a plan in which I pretend to be in love with someone else,” Derek declares harshly. “End of story.”

Lydia bounces Isaac on her lap while Jackson and Erica exchange eyebrow raises.

“We haven’t even heard anything from the Underbury pack since our initial meeting,” Boyd points out. “Perhaps Jenna has realized how pointless it would be to pursue you and our initial tentative alliance has proved sufficient.”

Hopeful gazes dart around the room. “Perhaps,” Derek says, though he doesn’t quite believe it.

Peace had never been a constant in Derek’s life.

“It’s okay to be happy, Alpha,” Stiles tells him later that night. They’re wrapped up in bed together, sleepy and sated, though Stiles can still feel the low thrum of tension humming through his lover’s body.

Derek squeezes Stiles’ hand where it rests on his chest. “I am happy.”

“Okay,” Stiles acknowledges. “But you’re also worried it’s gonna be snatched from your grasp any second.”

Derek blows out a breath, turns his head to face Stiles. “Can you blame me?”

Stiles is tracing triskele patterns on Derek’s strong chest. “I guess not,” he allows. “I just hate seeing you on edge all the time.”

“It all seems too good to be real,” Derek whispers. “You, Isaac, our pack. When have we ever gotten to live a normal life?”

Stiles chuckles into Derek’s skin. He levers himself up onto one elbow so he can look down at his mate. “Der, nothing in my life has been normal since the day I first saw you in the woods.” He dips his head down to steal a long, slow kiss.

Derek’s hand comes up to cup his jaw. “Regrets?” He tips his chin up, captures Stiles’ mouth again.

Stiles throws a leg over Derek, straddling his alpha as he rocks their hips together. “Not even one,” he swears. His mouth is on Derek’s, Derek’s hands guiding him down, hips and legs pumping slowly as they come together.

“You’re my second chance, Stiles,” Derek whispers as he lowers Stiles onto his cock. He pulses up gentle, slow, like they have all the time in the world.

Because, at least for right now, Stiles thinks, they do.

**Author's Note:**

> End Part 1
> 
> *I hope to return to this 'verse soon. With all that's going on, I've had to spend more time away from my fics than I would like, but I didn't want to leave you all hanging. Hopefully we can let Derek and Stiles be happy for awhile, and when it's time for them to return, I hope you'll be with me
> 
> Stay safe and well, lovelies <3 thank you so much for all the fic love


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